Ron Silver: Character Actor and Activist Dies of Cancer at 62

Ron Silver was rarely cast in the role of leading man; his was the perennial stage presence of a character actor. His dark, often brooding good looks earned him a lucrative career in that role, both on the stage, in television and movies. Silver died at age 62 on March 15, 2009 from esophageal cancer, for which he had been treated for the past two years.

Silver is worthy of an obituary on many levels; he was a deeply complex man committed not only to his acting career but also to political and social change. It came as a surprise to many in the entertainment industry that Silver switched affiliation from the Democratic party to that of a registered Independent, and spoke out in favor of then President George W. Bush's position on the Iraqi war. It was a bold move that Silver, in an interview with the Associated Press in 2004, said took a terrible career toll in largely liberal Hollywood. "It's affected me very badly. I can't point to a person or a job that I've lost", Silver said, "but this community is not very pluralistic. I haven't worked in the past ten months."

The New York City native was the son of a substitute teacher and retail executive. Raised in Manhattan's Lower East Side, Silver was a graduate of SUNY Buffalo with a B.A. in Spanish and Chinese, as well as the recipient of a Master's Degree in Chinese History from St. John's University and the College of Chinese Culture in Taiwan. He spoke fluent Mandarin and Spanish.

After a stint studying acting at the Herbert Beghof Studio, Silver debuted on the big screen in 1976's 'Tunnel Vision'. Other films included 'Lovesick', 'Garbo Talks', 'Eat and Run', 'Enemies: A Love Story', 'Blue Steel', 'Mr. Saturday Night', 'Timecop', 'Reversal of Fortune', and 'Ali'. It was within the theater community, however, that Silver performed some of his finest work, winning the Tony Award for his portrayal as a ruthless producer in David Mamet's 'Speed The Plow'. He was a frequent guest star on 'Law and Order, 'Chicago Hope' and the 1980's sitcom 'Rhoda'. From 2001 through 2006, Silver had the role of campaign advisor Bruno Gianelli on 'The West Wing'.

Silver served as the President of the Actors' Equity Association from 1991 to 2000.

Off screen and off Broadway, Silver's life was even richer and more diverse than the characters he portrayed. He traveled to more than thirty countries; he was a high school language teacher, and was employed as a social worker. In 1989, he co-founded the political advocacy group, the "Creative Coalition", comprised of those in the entertainment industry who shared his deep-seated love for democracy. In 2001, Silver was also a founder of "One Jerusalem", whose purpose was to maintain a united Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the state of Israel.

For many years an avid Democrat, Silver left the party after the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01 and became, surprisingly to many, a supporter of George W. Bush; he was a keynote speaker at the 2004 Republican National Convention, where he reaffirmed his support for Bush and his policies regarding the war. Silver was nominated by Bush in 2005 to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace. The following year, Silver joined the advisory committee to the Lewis Libby Legal Defense Trust. Ever the outspoken activist true to his beliefs, Silver hosted 'The Ron Silver Show', airing on Sirius Satellite Radio beginning in February, 2008, with its focus centered on public and current affairs as well as politics.

I will truly miss Ron Silver, the actor. I genuinely enjoyed his guest starring roles on the television series "Law and Order", in particular. His social and political activism speak volumes to the complexity and richness of a life well lived.